“So, first date was a little bust, no biggie.” Sage sat at my bedside in the hospital, which, surprise, was called Hudson Emergency Room. It seemed his family owned everything in Werewolf City. Everything important anyway.
I snorted. “A little bust? We all nearly died.”
What a horrible first date. Sawyer was clearly never going to speak to me again. Because of me, he had threatened Eugene and lied to his father. This was so fucked, and it sucked because I really liked him.
Sage shrugged. “I mean, if you want to be the alpha’s wife, you need to be used to attacks.”
I didn’t respond, because this wasn’t an attack for the alpha’s son, it was for me, but I hadn’t told her that.
“I just want to go home.”
She nodded. “I’ll have the nurse get your discharge papers.”
I’d been found to have no wounds, but Sawyer had told the doctor to keep me for a few hours to make sure I remained stable. I think he feared for my mental health more than anything. Which right now was teetering on the brink of insanity.
When Sage returned a few moments later with a stack of papers, I sighed in relief. I just wanted to go back to my dorm, take a hot shower, and forget this shitshow ever happened.
We made our way outside, where a sleek black car was waiting.
“I didn’t think you would want to ride a scooter across campus looking like Carrie on Halloween,” Sage informed me.
I looked down at my crusted bloody red dress and gave her a wry smile. “Very thoughtful of you.”
It was a five-minute ride across campus to our dorm, and because of the late hour we were able to slip in undetected. Even the front door lady, a different one than Kendra this time, was asleep at the desk. I did notice, though, that the campus was crawling with security.
Sage dropped me off at my front door. “Get some sleep. I’ll be right out here if you need anything.”
I frowned.
She grinned. “I’ve been assigned as your own personal bodyguard.”
I gave her a wan smile, but it didn’t feel real. Neither she, nor I, knew what she was guarding.
I wasn’t a normal werewolf, that was for damn sure.
It was a long time before I could fall asleep.
The next day, I threw on black yoga pants and a t-shirt that said Classy but I cuss a little. After tossing my hair into a top knot, I put my camera around my neck and slung my backpack over my shoulder because I had zero fucks about what I looked like right now. I was just trying to tell myself that yesterday was in the past. Today, I was a photography student and I was going to focus on that.
Something normal.
When I opened the door, Sage was there waiting with two coffees. Her hair was still damp and she wore no make-up but still managed to look insanely beautiful.
“Did you sleep?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Got four hours while Walsh took over my shift. We’re getting new schedules today. There is to be two guards on you at all times.”
My eyes bugged and she waved me off. “It’s more common once Sawyer picks his top five girls later this year, but you got in early.” She winked.
Yeah … I’m not sure that was a good thing.
When we arrived at breakfast, I noticed Sawyer sitting at a table full of girls. One on each side of him and two across from him. Sage and I clutched our trays of food and walked to find a table. “I’ll ask them to move,” she said, but I shook my head.
“I’d like to just eat alone and get to class,” I told her.
Her face fell, but she nodded. “Okay.”
We sat as I silently pushed my eggs around the plate. When I looked up, Sawyer glanced over at me, gave me a wan smile and looked away, back to his conversation with Priya and Meredith.
My heart pinched as I came to the realization that things between Sawyer and I were probably over before they began. I had too much baggage for him, and if I was being honest, I wasn’t a fan of this whole dating game. I didn’t want to share him, I didn’t want to feel second best, or third or fiftieth. I wanted to punch all these bitches in the face and then straddle him right in this cafeteria and kiss him in front of everyone.
Sigh.
Brandon and Walsh walked up, fully outfitted for war, knifes, stakes, and guns strapped over their black canvas jumpsuits. Every eye in the cafeteria tracked their movements.
Don’t come over here, don’t come over here.
They stopped at our table. “Demi, we will be accompanying you to your classes today,” Brandon told me.
Great.
I chugged my OJ and grabbed my stuff. “I’ll see you at lunch,” I told Sage, and stood, following them out of the cafeteria. I risked a glance behind me, just in time to see Sawyer look up at me and then turn away quickly.
My first two classes were agony. All I could think about was what I would say to Sawyer in my third period class. I wanted to apologize for any inconvenience this whole vampire attack thing caused him, because clearly it was my fault. I wanted to tell him I was still down to play Call of Duty anytime he wanted. I wanted shit to feel normal between us because we’d started something fresh and real and exciting, and I didn’t want to lose it. By the time the bell rang for third period, I was already in my desk, eyeing the door and waiting for him to walk through.
But he never did…
The seconds stretched to minutes, which turned into the full hour, and my heart sank.
He’d dropped the class.
He was so freaked about last night that he didn’t want to pursue me anymore.
Could I blame him?
I’d nearly gotten him killed. I was some human-wolf split shifter. I caught bullets, and I made him lie to his dad.
Future wife material.
By the time it was lunch hour, I felt sick to my stomach. I missed my best friend Raven and my parents. I actually sort of missed Delphi at this point. At least things there were predictable. I didn’t want to go to the cafeteria and see all of the women fawn all over Sawyer, so I decided to linger in the park for a bit. Walsh and Brandon were following me at a twenty-foot distance, but I could feel them just staring at me, waiting for a vampire to jump out and attack me or something.
With a sigh, I texted Sage.
Me: Want to eat outside today?
Sage: Yep, I’ll bring you carb loaded fattening high calorie food?
I grinned.
Me: Yes please. Meet you at the park.
I was about to put my phone away when it binged. The Sterling Hill app I had downloaded had a notification. I opened it and my heart leapt into my throat.
Dear Mating selection candidate,
Starting tomorrow, Sawyer will be picking two dates per day, one for lunch and one for dinner. He will do this each day of the week for the next month until he has had time to personally meet with each one of you one on one. At the end of the month, you will be informed if he has invited you to continue with the mating selection process and move into the top twenty chosen. Please be ready each day for a date in case you are chosen as these things can be last minute.
Have a wonderful day,
Mrs. Hudson
Fuck that. Be ready every single day for a month in case he chose me? This whole thing was starting to make me sick and pissed off. I growled and stomped into the park. I would be a lot more frustrated if this damn garden wasn’t so beautiful. A stunning pink bougainvillea had caught my eye. The way it curved over the stone arch entryway of the park and how the light filtered through it was enchanting. I had to get a picture. Pulling out my phone, I stood under the hulking lush flowers and tipped my head up to snap a photo. Only afterward did I realize I now had a fancy camera.
Slipping my phone into my back pocket, I pulled out the camera Sawyer had bought me, messing with the settings until I got what I wanted. I was on my fourth picture when my phone buzzed in my back pocket.
WolfDude_4 has uploaded a new photo.
I clicked the alert, fully prepared for a selfie or even a picture with Meredith.
When I saw the back of me, taking a picture of the pink flowers moments ago with my phone, I gasped and spun around the park searching for him, but he was nowhere.
My heart pounded in my throat as I read the caption.
It was … a poem?
“Some days, I am more wolf than woman and I am still learning how to stop apologizing for my wild.” Wolf and Woman by Nikita Gill.
What the hell, he knew poetry? And what did that mean? That I shouldn’t be sorry for who I was?
“Hey.” Sage called, bringing my attention back to reality and I jumped a little.
“Hey.” I quickly “liked” the photo, and then slipped my phone back away and into my pocket.
Sage handed me a plate of chicken fingers and French fries with extra ranch and I grinned.
“Thanks.”
We sat on a bench and Sage popped a fry into her mouth. “So the rumor mill is in full effect.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
She nodded. “Some people saw you and Sawyer go back to his place last night. Then they heard about the vampire attack. You’re a banished wolf.” She gave me a sly grin. “So naturally everyone thinks you are really in league with the vampires and are here to assassinate Sawyer.”
I gasped and a French fry lodged right into my windpipe. With a huge cough, I was able to spit it out, but it took a moment for me to gather my composure.
“Say what now?” I looked at my redheaded friend.
Sage laughed. “It’s ridiculous. No one believes it.”
I frowned. “But maybe they do. Maybe the alpha does, ohmygod maybe Sawyer does.”
Maybe that’s why he dropped the class…? But no, he was there last night, he saw the vampires try to kill me.
I sighed, throwing my head into my hands.
Rumors were powerful, and Sawyer dropping the class he had with me spoke volumes.
I liked him, like I had really allowed myself to like him, and now I felt a little crushed.
Stupid Werewolf Bachelor, not everyone came out of these things happy.
Sawyer would.
Another girl would…
And forty-nine of us would be heartbroken.
Sage waved me off. “Trust me, babe. Everything will blow over by next week.”
I wanted to believe her, but I just couldn’t.
